How to Fish in Minecraft: Treasure Odds and Open Water
Cast a rod into water and reel in when the bobber dips. How to fish in Minecraft for enchanted books, saddles and name tags, with Luck of the Sea odds.
Craft a fishing rod from 3 sticks and 2 string, cast it into any water, and reel in when the bobber suddenly dips. Every catch comes from one of three categories: fish, junk or treasure. Treasure is where the good stuff lives: enchanted books, saddles, name tags and enchanted bows and rods.
The two things that change your results most are where you fish (open water, in Java) and two rod enchantments, Luck of the Sea and Lure.
The rod
On a crafting table, place 3 sticks in a diagonal line from the top-right corner to the bottom-left corner. Then put the 2 string in the right-hand column, in the middle and bottom slots, under the top stick. You get 1 fishing rod; in Java it lasts 64 uses. String comes from spiders or cobwebs.
Catching something
- Cast into water at least one block deep.
- Wait. Soon you’ll see a trail of bubbles moving toward the bobber.
- When the bobber gets pulled under, reel in immediately.
Base wait time is 5 to 30 seconds. Miss the timing and you get nothing, so just cast again.
Open water (Java only)
In Java, treasure can only be caught in open water. The game checks a 5x4x5 area around the bobber: it must be just water source blocks, air, lily pads or bubble columns. Ponds next to your base, farm channels and anything with a block nearby fail the check, and those casts only give fish and junk. Fish in a river, lake or ocean, a few blocks out from the shore, and leave the space above the bobber clear.
Bedrock has no open-water check. That’s why simple AFK fish farms still produce treasure in Bedrock but not in Java.
The two enchantments that matter
| Enchantment | Effect |
|---|---|
| Luck of the Sea | Raises treasure and lowers junk |
| Lure | Cuts 5 seconds off the wait per level |
Treasure chances by Luck of the Sea level (Java):
| Level | Treasure | Junk |
|---|---|---|
| None | 5.0% | 10% |
| I | 7.1% | 8.1% |
| II | 9.2% | 6.1% |
| III | 11.3% | 4.2% |
Lure III brings the wait down to 0 to 15 seconds. Put both on one rod with Unbreaking III and Mending, and the rod repairs itself from the XP each catch gives. That’s the “god rod” people talk about.
What the treasure table gives
- Enchanted books, which can carry treasure-only enchantments such as Mending and Frost Walker
- Saddles. These are also craftable now, from 3 leather and 1 iron ingot; see getting a saddle
- Name tags, though since 26.1 you can also craft one from paper and a nugget; see how to get a name tag
- Nautilus shells, for conduits
- Enchanted bows and enchanted fishing rods, usually damaged
With Luck of the Sea III, roughly one catch in nine is treasure, and books make up a good share of that. An afternoon of fishing on a lake can easily turn up several books.
Other fishing tricks
- Pull mobs. A rod’s hook drags mobs and some entities toward you. It’s a cheap way to knock a skeleton off a ledge.
- Cook as you go. Raw cod and salmon are weak food; cooked salmon is decent. Carry a stack of fuel and a furnace if you’re fishing for food.
- Fish at night in the rain if you don’t mind mobs: the rain shortens the wait.
For other ways to gear up early, browse the guides hub.
Common questions
Can you get Mending from fishing?
Yes. Enchanted books from the treasure category can carry treasure enchantments, Mending included. It is a slow but renewable source alongside librarian trades.
Does rain help fishing?
Yes. Rain falling on the bobber's block cuts the wait for a bite by about 20%. If the bobber is under a roof while it rains, the wait gets longer instead.
Why do I only catch fish and junk?
In Java, treasure only comes from open water: the bobber needs a 5x4x5 area of plain water or air around it. Fishing in a small pond or a farm channel cuts off treasure.
Sources & verification
Facts on this page are checked against these references and in-game behavior for the stated edition(s). how we verify.
Keep reading